Hyundai Equus 2016 – Premium Design and Advanced Safety Features

The 2016 Equus premium luxury sedan continues to offer superior exterior and interior design, superb vehicle dynamics, material selection, driver technology displays and advanced safety features. Equus has been an impressive success story for Hyundai, bolstering its brand with consistently strong sales success and elevated customer satisfaction processes. For 2016, Equus adds the availability of Hands-free Smart Trunk with Automatic Opening to the Ultimate model, for even more luxurious convenience.

Exterior design

The Equus exterior conveys a premium-sport design message, with a 19-inch turbine-blade alloy wheel design in a polished silver finish that relays motion whether parked or on the open highway. The front grille chrome bars are thin, with sharp contrast to the blacked-out portions of the grille for a sporty look, while the front fascia offers a modern premium appearance that includes lower fascia opening strakes. The headlamps offer jeweled design elements and include chrome contrasted with black-out finishes for a distinctive appearance and LED fog lamps are standard. Side mirrors offer enhanced aerodynamics and tail lamp graphics for a horizontal theme.

Vehicle dynamics

Equus driving dynamics minimize traditional ride and handling compromises, with Normal and Sport modes each taking on a differentiated ride and handling character. The air suspension Sport mode offers more controlled damping, while Normal mode offers enhanced ride comfort while retaining a well-controlled handling demeanor. For those customers that experience adverse weather conditions such as ice and snow, a Snow mode function for the drive mode system helps both safety and ease of control in challenging road conditions.

In urban areas, Equus is easy to maneuver and park, thanks to electro-hydraulic steering and front and rear parking assistance system. While the Equus is large, it doesn't feel over-sized or clumsy due to its 39.6 foot turning circle and variable-effort steering system.

On winding country and mountain roads, the Equus benefits from the precise wheel articulation delivered by its five-link front and rear suspension geometry. This geometry is maximized through Continuous Damping Control (CDC), which continually monitors road and driving dynamics and optimizes damping force accordingly. The standard 19-inch alloy wheel and tire package with staggered width tires (P245/45R19 front P275/40R19 rear) offers excellent grip and precise control.

The climate control system offers three distinct cabin temperature zones for driver, passenger, and rear passengers. The standard smart cruise control system includes a full 0-mph stop-and-start function. The smart proximity key includes both key-fob and card-key types of vehicle entry for driver convenience. Ultimate models feature an automatic power door closure assist function; once a door manually approaches full closure, a power function slowly and quietly ensures the door is fully secured for peace of mind. Also on the Ultimate model, both rear outboard passengers have power lumbar support.

Powerful 5.0-liter tau V8 engine

The 2016 Equus is powered by Hyundai’s 5.0-liter Tau DOHC V8 engine, producing 429 horsepower at 6,400 rpm and 376 lb.-ft. of torque at 5,000 rpm, with a higher specific output (85.8 hp/liter) than its normally-aspirated premium luxury competitors. The Tau V8 engine creates this high output level while retaining exceptionally smooth power delivery throughout its rpm range, without the turbo lag and surge exhibited by some forced-induction engines.

The 5.0-liter Tau also features direct injection technology. This high-pressure direct injection system (over 2,200 psi) dramatically increases power and torque, while reducing fuel consumption and emissions. The 5.0-liter Tau has a high 11.5:1 compression ratio for greater thermal efficiency and output. It also has a bed plate for improved block rigidity and lower NVH, as well as camshaft carriers and a roller timing chain to improve valvetrain stability.

The sales and service experience for Equus is unlike any other in the industry, with a special focus on the customer’s time and convenience. Prospective buyers can participate in the “Your Time, Your Place” valet test drive program, where a specially-trained Product Champion will deliver an Equus to their home or office for a personalized, convenient shopping experience. Equus also features the industry’s first interactive owner’s manual app, providing a convenient and simpler way for owners to become familiar with the full capabilities of the vehicle.

Another benefit of Equus “At Your Service” is completely free maintenance services for three years or 36,000 miles. During this period, all maintenance is fully covered by Hyundai, providing exceptional peace of mind to Equus owners. When maintenance is required, Equus owners can schedule an appointment through a simple online system or from the interactive owner’s manual. An Equus owner can also choose to have their vehicle picked up at their home or business, with a complimentary loaner dropped off. Once maintenance is completed, the owner again chooses the time and location for the vehicle to be delivered.

Premium rear-wheel-drive architecture

Equus is the third rear-wheel-drive product in Hyundai’s lineup and boasts near perfect front-to-rear weight distribution for exceptional handling balance and more refined steering characteristics. Equus reduces interior noise levels and improves ride and handling with a rigid, lightweight body structure. The use of advanced high-strength steel in critical areas throughout the unibody provides Equus with significantly higher dynamic torsional rigidity and a lower body structure weight, despite having a spacious interior cabin.

Luxurious features and design

For 2016, the Equus Ultimate now offers Hands-free Smart Trunk with Automatic Opening, for even greater convenience. This feature enables the owner to open the trunk, hands-free, by simply standing for a few seconds within a few feet of the Equus trunk with the Equus key in their pocket or purse. This feature is especially helpful when the owner’s hands are full from shopping or anything else they might be carrying. The hands-free function is easier to use than many competitors that require the driver to kick near a sensor below the trunk to activate the hands-free operation.

The busy executive as well as the couple heading out on the town will feel right at home in the Equus due to abundant luxury touches and passenger comfort features. This ambience begins with superior quality materials and design layout. The leather upholstery, Microfiber suede headliner, genuine wood trim and leather-wrapped French-stitched instrument panel showcase the richness of the Equus interior.

The seats are fully adjustable with plenty of width and support. Thermoelectric devices located in the seat backs and bottom cushions provide control for heating, cooling and humidity. There is ample leg and head room for drivers over six-feet tall. In fact, Equus has more leg, head and shoulder room in the front and rear seats than the Lexus LS460.

Equus offers a number of technologies that help reduce the potential for distracted driving by helping drivers to keep their eyes on the road and hands on the wheel. A Blind Spot Detection system is standard, with blind spot vehicle alerts in either mirror. On the Ultimate model, a high-visibility Heads-up Display provides vehicle speed, navigation turn-by-turn instructions, smart cruise control indicators and select driving data viewable well above the cowl plane for reduced driving distraction.

When parking or navigating tight urban situations, Equus Ultimate offers a multi-view camera system that provides an aerial view of the vehicle with split-screen vehicle perspectives for optimized visibility and safety. In addition, all models include Rear Cross-traffic Alert to help alert drivers of vehicles crossing their path when backing up.

Equus also offers a lane departure warning system, with audible and visual warnings activated after a one-second lane departure. The system adds a haptic warning, via the seatbelt, for an extra margin of alert. Further, to help maintain safer following distances in traffic, Equus’ smart cruise control automatically manages the Equus’ speed through the braking and throttle systems to maintain a specified following distance selected by the driver.

Equus maintains Hyundai’s emphasis on delivering leading safety technology, boasting world-class active and passive safety features to help prevent accidents, and maximize the well-being of its occupants in the event of a collision. Equus offers key safety technologies, with features such as Electronic Stability Control (ESC), nine airbags, electronic active front head restraints, lane departure warning system and smart cruise control that monitors and adjusts following distances in traffic. Equus even has a Vehicle Stability Management (VSM) system that optimally manages ESC, the electronic parking brake, smart cruise control and the seatbelt tensioning system for optimal safety.

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